Batgirl #19
Gail Simone has been juggling many villains in the background of Batgirl for a number of issues. In the latest issue the most terrifying and personal villain comes to roost for Batgirl in the form of her own brother. While the stakes in this issue are very high the results are mixed towards the ending.
Bless Simone for diversifying the cast of her comic in the form of new character, Alysia. Who also happens to have a big moment handled in the issue incredibly well, by one of the few female writers in comics. The flashbacks that kick off the issue are a bit cheesy, because we know who James is by now and what he means in the context of Gotham. Showing a creepy moment in a flashback does not add anything to his character. Jim Gordon’s motivation and behavior in the title is also very hard to justify. His reactions are exceedingly strong and, what he does in the issue negates the character building this comic has strived for between Barbara and Jim.
Considering everything that writer Gail Simone has done with the character so far, James Gordon has been handled adequately. When the reader takes a step back and looks at the Scott Snyder story called The Black Mirror some of the nuance has been stripped away. The character of James has been built up for a long time, but in this chapter he is randomly dealt with abruptly, there was more potential than what was utilized in this issue for the character. One of the themes focused on heavily in Batgirl is character growth. In many issues all of the villains that have attacked Barbara are referenced. Looking back on all of these characters Batgirl is reminded of how difficult it has been for her to be a superhero after her spine surgery. Upon reading this section of the comic the idea of a lighter tone is something that should be explored within the pages of Batgirl. The Gordon family has had so much doom and gloom as of late, tying it all back to the early years of Barbara Gordon grinning in the golden age of comics would be an interesting twist for the title.
Daniel Sampere does a great job as penciller here. Sampere stays in the style of all the issues previous, with concise line work. Gotham is rendered as a gritty and dark place. One constant frustration with Batgirl that much of the audience must have, is the inconsistent artwork. Artists change on Batgirl from issue to issue. Which is why keeping one consistent style is so important for this book. Inks are provided by Jonathan Glapion who just switched off of Batman.
This is one of the strongest issues of the series despite the minor problems that plague the title. Batgirl gets a new status quota and the next evolution of Babs as a character is underway. Hopefully Simone will stay on the title for a long time because the character is still finding her footing amongst the other titles in the New 52. Stabilizing an artist on the book is a must if this title is to have a sense of longevity.
Bless Simone for diversifying the cast of her comic in the form of new character, Alysia. Who also happens to have a big moment handled in the issue incredibly well, by one of the few female writers in comics. The flashbacks that kick off the issue are a bit cheesy, because we know who James is by now and what he means in the context of Gotham. Showing a creepy moment in a flashback does not add anything to his character. Jim Gordon’s motivation and behavior in the title is also very hard to justify. His reactions are exceedingly strong and, what he does in the issue negates the character building this comic has strived for between Barbara and Jim.
Considering everything that writer Gail Simone has done with the character so far, James Gordon has been handled adequately. When the reader takes a step back and looks at the Scott Snyder story called The Black Mirror some of the nuance has been stripped away. The character of James has been built up for a long time, but in this chapter he is randomly dealt with abruptly, there was more potential than what was utilized in this issue for the character. One of the themes focused on heavily in Batgirl is character growth. In many issues all of the villains that have attacked Barbara are referenced. Looking back on all of these characters Batgirl is reminded of how difficult it has been for her to be a superhero after her spine surgery. Upon reading this section of the comic the idea of a lighter tone is something that should be explored within the pages of Batgirl. The Gordon family has had so much doom and gloom as of late, tying it all back to the early years of Barbara Gordon grinning in the golden age of comics would be an interesting twist for the title.
Daniel Sampere does a great job as penciller here. Sampere stays in the style of all the issues previous, with concise line work. Gotham is rendered as a gritty and dark place. One constant frustration with Batgirl that much of the audience must have, is the inconsistent artwork. Artists change on Batgirl from issue to issue. Which is why keeping one consistent style is so important for this book. Inks are provided by Jonathan Glapion who just switched off of Batman.
This is one of the strongest issues of the series despite the minor problems that plague the title. Batgirl gets a new status quota and the next evolution of Babs as a character is underway. Hopefully Simone will stay on the title for a long time because the character is still finding her footing amongst the other titles in the New 52. Stabilizing an artist on the book is a must if this title is to have a sense of longevity.
A Look Inside
